Companies like Facebook, Intel and Microsoft have come under criticism for supporting the bill.

Critics of CISPA say that broad legislation could easily be manipulated into producing the same kind of draconian control over the Internet that many feared from SOPA. But supporters, like Facebook, say that the ability to share information between private and public organizations is crucial to the future of internet security.

After a wave of internet criticism, Facebook vice President of US Policy has published an open letter justifying his company’s support for CISPA. He argues that the bill isn’t going to force Facebook to do anything untoward with private data:

More than 845 million people trust Facebook with their information, and maintaining that trust is at the core of everything we do. Keeping the site secure to protect our users and their information requires a combination of technological innovations; around-the-clock coverage from our dedicated staff; and relationships within the broader security community.

A successful defense against bad actors also requires that we have timely information about cyber threats. One challenge we and other companies have had is in our ability to share information with each other about cyber attacks. When one company detects an attack, sharing information about that attack promptly with other companies can help protect those other companies and their users from being victimized by the same attack. Similarly, if the government learns of an intrusion or other attack, the more it can share about that attack with private companies (and the faster it can share the information), the better the protection for users and our systems.

What do you think – is CISPA on the up and up? Or is there something shadier hiding in Facebook’s justification?